


Miss Kennedy's Day Out

by athenasdragon



Category: Hornblower (TV)
Genre: Angst, Archie Kennedy is an angsty puppy, Emotional Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Hornblower is a good friend, Mention of Past Abuse, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pellew is his usual sassy self, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, abuse mention, but while i ship them to the point of pain this is not explicit horatio/archie, cute and fluffy, dadmiral, emotional abuse by family, i mean if you ship them i guess it could be read that way, you do you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-30
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-11 23:52:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4457291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/athenasdragon/pseuds/athenasdragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Archie and Horatio go into town on leave and something happens where either one has to hide from someone so the only option is to go disguise shopping. Hilarity ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Miss Kennedy's Day Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nadadunh](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=nadadunh).



> Just a silly little prompts an anon gave me on Tumblr when I needed crack to write for sonsofmahal (nadadunh on ao3). I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

It was a bright, brisk spring day when HMS _Indefatigable_ put into port in Plymouth and dispelled most of its sailors and officers for an afternoon of shore leave. Eager for the chance to stretch their legs and replace the coin in their pockets with sweets and new handkerchiefs, Midshipmen Hornblower and Kennedy strolled leisurely past shop windows and pubs, laughing and conversing away from any unwanted extra ears.

“Damn!” Archie suddenly muttered under his breath as he grabbed Horatio’s arm and dragged him into an alley.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Horatio peered anxiously at his friend but Archie remained pressed against the wall, frozen and silent. “Archie? Archie!”

Archie’s blue eyes slid to Horatio’s face as his mouth twisted into a wry smile. “I knew that we’d see them. They could be anywhere in Plymouth, but of course they’re going to be walking down the same street as us.”

Despite the instant press of Archie’s restraining hand, Horatio leaned around him to look out at the street. Sailors trickled in and out of the tavern across the way. A tall, lean man with dark hair leaned disinterestedly against a nearby shop, and for a moment Horatio thought that perhaps this shady figure was what had worried Archie—but no, now he was smiling and striding forward to greet a shorter, suntanned man and the two of them laughed and embraced and walked off. There was nothing threatening about them.

Horatio was just about to turn around and ask Archie what on earth he could have seen, but then a relatively unassuming couple caught his eye. The woman was stooped, not quite elderly but certainly old, and her greying hair was a soft orange blonde. The man had a familiar rhythm to his gait.

Archie pulled him back around the corner. “Stay back!” he hissed, face contorted with something like fear.

“Is that your family?” Horatio asked interestedly. “Don’t you want to see them?”

His friend’s face darkened. “You don’t understand. Horatio, you don’t understand what it was like growing up with them. They were—they were strict, they punished me for every little thing—”

Horror dawned on Horatio with this new glimpse into Archie’s childhood. “Oh Archie, I didn’t know! Come on, we can go back to the docks and wait there, you don’t have to see them.”

“No,” Archie insisted, “I don’t want you to miss your day of leave. It’s just—I’ll—” He fell silent, obviously wracked with indecision.

Suddenly, Horatio grinned. “You know, I think I’ve found a way we can both enjoy our afternoon without worrying about your family.”

* * *

 

“Afternoon dears!” the round woman behind the counter called as the two midshipmen entered the shop. “Anything I can help you with?”

Archie shrank a little and tried to pull Horatio back out of the shop by the sleeve, but Horatio stepped forward more boldly. “Yes, ma’am. Mr. Kennedy here would like to buy a dress for his sister, but neither of us is very experienced in this sort of thing.”

The woman’s eyes lit up and she bustled forward, gathering bits of material in her arms as she went. “Ah yes, I see! I have a few pieces pinned together in the back, it won’t take me half an hour to finish them if I have some measurements. You do have the young lady’s measurements?” she asked as she came to a stop before them and dropped several handfuls of cloth into Horatio’s arms.

“Erm, well,” he stammered, looking to his friend.

Archie seemed to steel himself to the plan and stood up straighter. “She’s about my size, I think, ma’am. Will that be good enough?”

“Well…” After looking between them for a few seconds the shopkeeper shrugged. “I’m sure I can get it close enough. Perhaps the lady’s maid can make the final alterations once the dress has been delivered.”

“Perfect,” Horatio agreed.

* * *

 

“This must be the record for your worst idea ever,” Archie mumbled.

Horatio smiled sunnily beside him, linking his arm more securely through that of his friend. “Be quiet, Miss Kennedy! Just enjoy the weather.”

Archie scowled. He was wearing a demure green dress with a lacy pattern down the front and tufts of frothy white fabric at the sleeves. His face and short hair were hidden by a wide-brimmed hat; this was slightly out of fashion, but close enough not to draw curious glances. Horatio refrained from commenting on the fact that, when framed by the hat’s lace tie and drooping brim, Archie’s fine cheekbones and long eyelashes were almost too easy to mistake for those of a woman. He was content to enjoy the moment in silence.

The hand on Horatio’s arm tightened suddenly. “There they are!” Archie hissed, inclining his head towards the couple approaching them from the other side of the uneven cobblestone street.

“Just keep walking,” Horatio said soothingly without letting the smile fall from his face. “Smile and they won’t see anything wrong. They won’t look at you twice. Just keep walking.” He kept up this quiet stream of encouragements until the couple was well behind them and Archie had relaxed somewhat.

“I don’t suppose we can exactly go into one of the regular pubs,” Horatio was starting to lament, but a loud voice overran the end of his sentence.

“Mr. Hornblower!”

Now it was Horatio’s turn to seize up as he and Archie turned slowly to face the approaching figure of Captain Pellew. “Sir!” he managed to sputter before the stern-faced man caught up with them.

“I see you’re enjoying your leave, Mr. Hornblower,” Pellew said somewhat disapprovingly as he looked at Archie.

Horatio made a choking noise in the back of his throat which would hopefully be mistaken for embarrassment rather than the barely-contained laughter it was. Archie’s face flushed and he ducked his head, the better to avoid making eye contact with their captain.

Pellew’s hard exterior crumbled and he laughed, clapping the young midshipman on the shoulder. “Come on then, Hornblower, there’s no need to look so shamefaced. Just don’t go flaunting your exploits too heartily and there won’t be any problems.”

Horatio managed a nod.

“I’m just off to get some of those strange little chocolates—you know the ones, with the jam inside? I can only ever find them in Plymouth.” He looked the two of them up and down once more. “In any case, I expect you to be punctual in your return to the ship. Is that clear?”

“Yes sir,” Horatio agreed, stepping slightly on Archie’s foot to prevent him from responding in kind.

“Very good. I will see you at four bells.” Just as the two were making their way past him, however, a strange expression came over Pellew’s face as he looked at Archie. “I beg your pardon…” He stared hard at Horatio for a few seconds, then looked back to the midshipman’s companion. Then he chuckled uneasily to himself. “Erm… yes. Four bells. Good day, Mr. Hornblower.” His subdued laughter continued until he was out of earshot around the corner.

“Oh Lord,” Archie finally said, “he’s figured us out. I know he recognized me.”

Horatio released his pent-up laughter in a few wheezy breaths. “I don’t think he did, Archie.”

“Well he saw _something_ ,” his friend argued, but allowed himself to be led off.

“Cheer up, nothing’s going to come of it. Now,” Horatio continued, smirking at Archie, “what would the lady like to do next?”

“Kill you,” Archie muttered darkly, and Horatio laughed again.

“Come off it, Archie. It’s a beautiful day and we’re on leave! Just enjoy it!”

“No.”


End file.
